Homemade dried figs? Nothing could be simpler. A great sweet snack to treat yourself to in the middle of the day or at the end of a meal: preparing it at home is child's play.
What you need to know
To dry figs the traditional method is the most natural one: just leave them in the sun (for example on the balcony) for at least three days. The important thing is that the air is not excessively humid. This is why September is certainly the best time to prepare dried figs, to be stored and enjoyed as soon as they are ready, even throughout winter.
For them to dry, the figs must be picked at the right ripening point, that is when they are neither too soft nor too hard. The first important thing to remember for this preparation, however, is that the fruits should be cut in half making it more convenient to achieve a more unified drying point and to even add a tasty almond inside the figs.
Where and how to arrange the figs
Once cut in half, but without dividing completely the two parts, you should then place the figs on a tray covered with baking paper and leave them in the sun, turning them a couple of times a day. To avoid the disturbance of insects, it’s advisable to cover the tray with a net, or for those who have one, you can choose to place the figs on a wicker trellis with the opening facing upward. At the end of each day, at sunset, we mustn’t forget to bring the figs indoors as the evening humidity will lengthen their drying time.
Storage of dried figs
After two or three days, once they’ve lost their moisture, the figs will be dark and wilted. At this point there are two possibilities: you can stuff each pair of figs with toasted almonds or hazelnuts or you can continue without adding anything else. It depends on preferences.
In both cases it’s important after having dried them, they should be left in the oven for about ten minutes (closed like a sandwich if there is a filling, or if not with the pairs divided) at 356° F (180° C). Just enough time to brown them.
Finally, to preserve the dried figs in the best possible way, all that remains to do is put them in a glass jar, in a dry place. If you want to add further sweetness to this recipe, you can opt to slightly caramelize the dried figs. So just before they are out of the oven, add a few tablespoons of water with brown sugar and a pinch of cinnamon in a bowl, mix well and then amply brush the figs and leave them in the oven for at least another 15 minutes.
